January 15th, 2018 — IGNITE

I have to tell you, I always hate it when I’m driving and this little light on my dashboard pops on. It’s just a little light, but it always irritates me. I hate seeing it and unfortunately it doesn’t go away by itself. It doesn’t matter how much I try to ignore it, it’s always in my face. And I know it’s going to cost me. It’s my check engine light.

You’d think I’d be thankful for that little light as it turns on. It’s trying to tell me that something’s wrong with my car and needs attention. It’s warning me that if I don’t have my car looked at, something else could possibly go wrong. But when that little light flips on, there are other thoughts that flip on in my head.

As I think of how much I want to ignore my check engine light, I begin to ponder other areas in my life that I might be ignoring the warning signs. I ignore the warning sign on the scale I step onto. It only tells me the truth, but I don’t appreciate it. I ignore the warning sign of my heart pitter-pattering, racing and my blood pressure rising, but I don’t do anything. I ignore the kink in my neck, though it hurts and is a constant pain, which ruins my day and disrupts my sleep, but instead of making an appointment with my chiropractor, I push it off for another day.

My spiritual life is no different. I don’t spend time in the Word and then I wonder why my life is unsatisfying. I ignore the warning signs. I take matters into my own hands and don’t pray, but then I wonder why things don’t turn out right. I ignore the warning signs. I stop worshipping my Lord and offering Him my praise, but then I wonder why my life seems so empty. I ignore the warning.

Why would I do that? Why would you do that? I mean, you wouldn’t drive down a road that was closed would you? Would you walk across a bridge that had a sign that said, “closed for repairs”? Would you drive a car that had a warning sign that said, “no brakes”?

Then why do we keep doing what we’re doing instead of heeding the warning signs? Before you go to sleep, don’t you first get sleepy? Before you fall, don’t you feel your legs go weak? Before a storm, doesn’t God first send clouds? Before a flood, doesn’t it first have to rain? Then why ignore the signs? The Bible says…“The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.” Matthew 6:22

Here’s my word of encouragement for you today: Open your eyes to see and your ears to hear because they’ll never fail you when it comes to the warning signs. How do I know? Because the Bible say, “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made both of them.” Proverbs 20:12

Don’t ignore the warning signs!

Father,Help me respond to the warning signs in my life. In Jesus name I ask this, Amen.

Rev. Dr. MM Marxhausen

FYI – I leave today for Papua New Guinea and will be gone until February 6th. Please pray!